Bogus DStv Agents flood Zimbabwean market

A racket of dealers purporting to be Digital Satellite television agents have invaded Zimbabwe in a development that is likely to see most members of the public being fleeced of their hard earned cash if nothing is done urgently to redress the matter, Mafriqmusicfactory.com reported.

Information gathered by MafriqLife and Style has it that the bogus agents are offering services which range from opening South African accounts, DStv connections   to accepting subscriptions.

The amounts being charged for the monthly subscriptions are quite lesser that what is officially charged by the Multichoice Dealers. Members of the public who are paying for Dstv packages like Easy view are being charged eleven dollars for fifteen channels including the South African Broadcasting Corporation's television channels.

The Access package is pegged at eighteen dollars for thirty channels while the Compact is pegged at thirty nine dollars for sixty channels whereas Premium package costs one hundred dollars.

Most subscribers who have fallen prey to these bogus agents said that most of the programs they subscribed for rarely last a month. "I paid thirty nine dollars for the Compact package but to my surprise it only lasted two weeks. When I went back to the agent he declined ever offering me such services and I suspect most people are falling into such traps," explained one client identified as Tawanda Phiri.

A survey conducted by MafriqLife and Style in an attempt to expose the issues around the bogus agent yielded varied findings. One of the agents who operates along Robert Mugabe Street in Harare said, "We are employed by Multichoice South Africa Branch and we deal directly with them from Zimbabwe."

One of the agents confessed, "These are backdoor deals which are being facilitated by the Multichoice insiders. We get access to their transmission grid but when we over subscribe the guys will play around with transmission signals in order to avoid   being caught such situations then result in our clients not being able to access the services paid for."

Contacted for comment, Multichoice Zimbabwe Public Relations Officer, Elizabeth Dziva said: "MultiChoice Zimbabwe does not endorse the activities of ‘agents' who claim to be able to undertake services in connection with DStv subscriptions to the public."

"We have over the past few years warned the public not to deal with them as they are neither approved nor necessary. People who wish to subscribe to DStv in Zimbabwe can make use of the MultiChoice Zimbabwe customer care centers in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare or through MultiChoice Accredited Installers, who are approved to provide services for prospective and existing subscribers. A full list of accredited installers is available through the MultiChoice branches."

"It should also be noted that it is illegal for Zimbabweans to register for DStv subscriptions within SA, principally because this contravenes international copyright laws and royalties laws".